Rescue platform for use with aerial ladders and the like



H. LOTZ Dec. 20, 1960 RESCUE PLATFORM FOR USE WITH AERIAL LADDERS ANDTHE LIKE r Filed March 16, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Henry LotzATTORNEYS H. LOTZ Dec. 20, 1960 RESCUE PLATFORM FOR USE WITH AERIALLADDERS AND THE LIKE Filed March 16, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.5

z mm W L. V my r n e H ATTORNEYS Dec. 20, 1960 H. LOT Z 2,965,194

RESCUE PLATFORM FOR USE WITH AERIAL LADDERS AND THE LIKE Filed Marchl6,9l959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR He n r y Lotz ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent RESCUE PLATFORM FOR USE WITH AERIAL LADDERS AND THE LIKE HenryLotz, 40 Worcester Square, Boston, Mass.

Filed Mar. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 799,761

7 Claims. (Cl. 182-102) The present invention relates to a rescueplatform for use with aerial ladders and the like, and has for an objectto provide a platform which may be conveniently raised with the raisingof aerial ladders of fire apparatus which will accommodate a number ofrecue persons in a quick, easy and expeditious manner from a burningbuilding without requiring that the persons be carried individually byfiremen all the way down the ladders.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rescueplatform with means for hanging the same pendent from an aerial ladderor the like carried by a hook and ladder fire fighting truck or thelike, which platform may be raised and lowered by the conventionalapparatus which raises and lowers the aerial ladder and which may bebrought to a window or other escape opening in the wall of a buildingwhere a number of rescue persons, aided or unaided by the firemen, canescape from the building onto the platform and the platform thereupon,by the use of the aerial ladder, is swung away from the burning buildingand lowered to the safety of the street.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rescue platformwhich may thus be quickly raised and lowered a great number of times ina minimum interval to thus have great capacity for rescuing largenumbers of persons fro-m a burning or collapsing building withoutrequiring the persons to laboriously and slowly climb down the ladderaided by the firemen.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rescue platformin which provision is made for locking the platform in a stable positionalongside a vent of the building, thus stabilizing the support for thesafer movement of escape persons fro-m the building onto the platformand insuring that the platform will not swing away from the wallincident to the transfer of the weights -'of the rescue persons inmoving from the building onto 'the platform.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means inconnection with such rescue platform whereby hose attached to theplatform may be elevated quickly therewith without having to be moved upthe ladder or rcarried up the ladder by firemen.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the in- -vention will bemore fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointedout in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing a wall of a burning buildingwith fire apparatus in fighting position relatively thereto, includingan aerial ladder from which is suspended a rescue platform constructedin accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary isometric view of the upper portion of anaerial ladder showing a method of support- :ing the rescue platform ofthis invention therefrom;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken through the wall of a building andshowing in fragmentary side elevation an aerial ladder with a rescueplatform suspended therefrom and with a form of locking hook on theplatform in locking engagement with a window sill of the wall;

Figure 5 is a isometric view of a form of rescue platform in accordancewith the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the partially collapsed position of theplatform;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the improved rescue platform;

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-8 in Figure7;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 99 in Figure7, and

Figure 10 is an end view of the platform shown in collapsed position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and for the present toFigures 1 to 4 inclusive, designates a conventional aerial ladder on ahook and ladder truck 16. A pumper or hose wagon or both is indicated at17 and a conventional straight ladder at 18 having a hose 19 connectedto the pumper and to the fire plug 20.

In Figures 2 and 3, 21 designates an anchoring cap assembly, preferablyof cast aluminum or some other lightweight material which isnevertheless possessed of suflicient strength. A rung 22 of the ladderis encased by the cap assembly 21 and across this cap assembly isinserted a shear pin 23 which takes the shear stress of suspending therescue platform.

A non-turn type of suspension cable 24 has an eye 25 engaged about thepin 23 whereby the cable and the platform are supported thereby. Ofcourse it is obvious that other means of supporting the platform fro-mthe upper portion of the aerial ladder may be employed.

A hook 26 on the lower end of the cable 24 is adapted to detachablyengage into an eye 27 of a stator stud 28, shown more particularly inFigures 5 to 10 inclusive. The stud fixedly carries a stator plate 29below which is disposed a swivel plate 30 mounted on ball bearings 31which surround the reduced shank 32 of the stator stud 28. Below theball bearings and swivel plate 30 is a nut 33 threaded on the lowerportion of the shank 32 for moving the ball bearing assembly 31 upagainst a shoulder 34 of the stud which is formed incident to thereduction of the shank 32.

The stator plate 29 is provided with upstanding handles 35 at convenientpoints around its circumference and depending from the swivel plate 30are divergent supporting legs 36 for supporting the rescue platform 37which is preferably in two sections 37 and 37 This support is elfectedby shear pins 38 carried by the lower ends of the legs 36 and projectingoutwardly at oppositeside s of the legs to engage in cutaway portions 39of adjacent longitudinal marginal 'flanges 40 of the two sections 37 and37 There are also other outer longitudinal marginal flanges 41 (Figure8), the longitudinal flanges 40 and 41 being connected by end transverseflanges 42. These various flanges 4t 41 and 42 extend downwardly fromthe platform sections 37 and 37 and reinforce and strengthen the same. I

The sections 37 and 3'7 are preferably pivoted together by hinges orpivots 43 so that the sections may be folded upwardly as indicated inFigures 6 and 10.

The sections 37 and 37 have side or longitudinal hand rails 44, 45extending above the outer longitudinal flanges 41, and a pivoted rearend rail section 46 is carried by one of the hand rails, for instance,the hand rail 44. This end rail section 46, as appears in Figure 5, hasa pivot 47 connecting the same with the outer end of the hand rail 44 sothat the pivoted end rail section 46 may swing about the hand rail 44whereby to bring a depending pin 48 on the free end of the pivoted endrail section 46 over a perforation 49 in the outer portion of theopposed hand rail 45, thus closing the outer or rear end of theplatform. Another hole 50 is made through the hand rail 44 at its innerend portion to accommodate the pin 48 at the free end of the pivoted endrail section 46 when the pivoted end rail section is swung to a positionopening the outer end of the platform and overlying the hand railsection 44.

A window book 51 is carried by a sliding bar 52 which slides through aslide block 53 having an attachment 54 to one of the legs 36.

The opening 55 in the slide block 53 is larger in cross section than thecross section of the bar 52 to allow the bar 52 rocking in the slideblock 53. A set screw 56 on the block is adapted to bind the bar 52 inadjusted position.

Internally threaded eyelets 57 may be mounted through the floor of thepaltform for hose connections.

In the use of the device, as shown in Figure 1, the platform issuspended from an upper end of an aerial ladder or the like and as thevarious sections of the iadder are run out, the platform will beaccordingly lifted 'and where hose connections from the hose cart 17 aremade to the platform, the hose will be quickly elevated to criticalpositions along the wall of the building shown at 58. Thus the hose iselevated in a smaller fraction of time by the platform than the samecould be carried up the ladder by a fireman.

When the pivoted end rail section 46 is in the full-line position ofFigure 5, it looks the two sections 37 and 37 against hinging collapse.In other words, the platform is maintained in operative position forreceiving refugees from the building 58.

As shown in Figure 4, the hook 51 is engaged with the window sill 59 ofthe wall of the building and the set screw 56 has been tightened so thatthe platform at its open front end is properly oriented to the window 60which forms an escape opening onto the platform. Thus this hook holdsthe platform stable to the wall enabling the safe movement of a numberof persons through the window 60 and onto the platform. A fireman mayalso occupy this platform to properly conduct the refugees thereto andto'dispose them properly and to also hook andiunhook the device from thewindow sill '59. By loosening the set screw 56 and rocking the bar 52 inthe slide block, the hook 51 may be cleared of the window sill and thehook thereupon pulled within the confines of the platform as indicatedin Figure 9. The set screw may be again tightened to prevent the hookfrom casual movement during the descent of the platform with therescuepersons.

When the platform is in the hooked position of Figure 4, if an emergencyshould arise, as for instance, flames bursting through the window 60,the hook 51 may be left in'place in engagement with the window sill 59and the'entire platform quickly disengaged by simply backing off the setscrew 56 which will enable the platform to move away from the wall anddownwardly rocking the bar 52 and as the platform moves away, the barwill simply be withdrawnfrom the slide block 53 and the bar may be leftbehind still engaged with the window sill 59. This, however, is only forquick escape and critical conditions.

A fireman standing on the platform has manual access to the handles 35by which he may cause rotation of the-swivel plate 30 and the connectedplatform around the stud 28 to properly orient the platform with itsopen side presented to a'window 60.

When the platform is not in use it may be collapsed by disengaging'thepivoted end rai section 46 from the opposite hand rail 45 and swingingthe same to an overlying position over the hand rail 44 to which thisend rail'section 46 is pivoted'at 47, the pin 46 being intro- 4 ducedinto the hole 50. It will be understood that the pivot 47 is ratherloose permitting the free end of the. end rail section 46 to move.slightly vertical in inserting the pin 48 and withdrawing the same intoand from the holes 49 and 50. Thus, the device may be collapsed aboutthe hinges 43 to the position of Figures 6 and 10.

The floor of the platform 37 may be of imperforate sheet metal orpreferably of expanded metal, as shown in the drawings, on account ofthe perforated character of such material having high coolingcharacteristic and high heat conductivity.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in this art that the device isapplicable to existing fire apparatus and equipment without anyalteration therein and without requiring the purchase of any new ordifierent form of such fire apparatus.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known tome at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications andchanges as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with. an aerial extension ladder having a non-turn typesuspension cable, a rescue device comprising a platform having an openfront end to be oriented to an opening in the wall of a disasterbuilding, a stator support adapted to be removably connected to thenonturn suspension cable, a swivel member rotatably supported by saidsupport and directly carrying said platform for rotary movement to bringthe open front end of the platform into registry with the opening in thewall of the building, and at least one handle on the stator supportaccessible to persons standing on the platform for'causing manualdirective rotation of the platform for the purpose stated.

2. For use with an aerial extension ladder having a non-turn typesuspension cable, a rescue device comprising a platform having at leastan open front end, a stator support having means for non-rotatableconnection to the non-turn suspension cable, a swivel member rotatablysuspended from said support, legs carried by and depending from saidswivel member and carrying said platform, and at least one handle on thestator support accessible to a person standing on the platform forcausing manual directive rotation of the'platform to cause the openfront end thereof to be oriented to an opening of the disaster buildingwall.

3. For use with an aerial extension ladder having a non-turn typesuspension cable, a rescue device comprising a platform having an openfront end, a stator stud having means for removable and non-rotatableconnection to the non-turn suspension cable, a stator plate affixed tosaid stud, a swivel plate supported about said stud for relative rotarymovement, legs carried by said swivel plate and rotating therewith anddirectly supporting said platform, and at least one handle on the statorplate accessible to a person standing on the platform for causing manualdirective rotation of the swivel plate, legs and platform for bringingthe open front end of the latter to an opening in the disaster buildingwall.

4. For use with an aerial extension ladder having a non-turn typesuspension cable, a rescue device comprising a stator support havingmeans for non-rotatively engaging said non-turn suspension cable, aswivel member rotatively suspended from said support, a platform supported from said swivel member and rotatable therewith and having anopening through which rescue persons in a disaster building may haveaccess to the platform, and at least one handle on the stator supportaccessible to a person on the platform for rotating the swivel memberand platform to orient the opening in the platform to an opening in thedisaster building wall.

5. For use with an aerial extension ladder having a non-turn typesuspension cable, a rescue device comprising a stator support havingmeans for non-rotative' connection to the cable, a swivel memberrotatively carried 5 about said stator support, legs carried by saidswivel member and depending from substantially diametrically oppositepoints thereof, a rescue platform comprising at least two sectionshinged together along the diametric line of said legs for hingingmovement upwardly about said legs, and means for connecting the lowerportions of the legs beneath the platform sections adjoining the hingeline, and at least one handle on the stator support accessible to aperson standing on the platform for causing manual directive rotation ofthe swivel member, legs and platform to orient a desired portion of theplatform to an opening in the wall of a disaster building.

6. For use with an aerial extension ladder having a non-turn typesuspension cable, a rescue device comprising a stator support havingmeans for non-rotative connection to the cable, a swivel memberrotatively carried about said stator support, legs carried by saidswivel member and depending from substantially diametrically oppositepoints thereof, a rescue platform comprising at least two sectionshinged together along the diametric line of said legs for hingingmovement upwardly about said legs, and means for connecting the lowerportions of the legs beneath the platform sections adjoining the hingeline, longitudinal hand rails on the sides of the platform substantiallyparallel with the hinge and diametric lines, a rear end rail sectionpivoted to one hand rail and having a detachable connection to theopposite hand rail for holding the platform sections against hingingcollapse, the front end of said platform being open, and at least onehandle on the stator support accessible to persons standing on theplatform for causing manual directive rotation of the swivel member,legs and platform as a unit to bring the open front end of the platforminto registry with an opening in a wall of a disaster building. 7. Foruse with an aerial extension ladder having a non-turn type suspensioncable, a rescue device comprising a stator support having means fornon-rotary connection to the cable, a swivel member rotatively supportedby said stator support, diametric legs depending from said swivelmember, a platform carried by the lower portions of said swivel legs andhaving an open front end, at least one handle on the stator supportaccessible to a person standing on the platform for rotating the swivelmember and platform to bring the open front end of the platform intoregistry with a window in the wall of a disaster building, a slide barcarried by the leg adjacent the open front end of the platform, a hookbar slidable through the block and also having substantially verticalrocking movement therein, said bar extending crosswise of both legs, andmeans for detachably affixing the bar in the block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS295,578 OBrien Mar. 25, 1884 303,337 Stoddard Aug. 12, 1884 363,179Smith May 19, 1887 470,689 Lee Mar. 15, 1892 '516,606 Anker Mar. 13,1894 538,398 Lavery Apr. 30, 1895 770,685 Haas Sept. 20, 1904 1,126,583Sobra Jan. 26, 1915

